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Allen Lane, £25, pp 640 ISBN 0 713 99249 2
Rating: My first close contact with a clinical psychologist was when I was a new consultant, intent on fostering a multidisciplinary approach, during my first ward round. Nervously I pumped up the team spirit in the assembled crowd. In truth, I hadn't a clue what I was going to do. The psychologist looked stern and impenetrable. He took to contradicting everything I said. Desperately I would agree with him, only he would then change his point, saying that I had not understood. We went round like this for a while. I nodded and smiled and adopted what I hoped was not threatening body posture. Eventually I entreated him to spend some time with the patient. Anything to help move things on. I received a barrage of reasons as to why this was clearly not an appropriate case for him to take on. It was then that the penny dropped. He was more interested in being right than being helpful.
Of course, I have since worked with very friendly psychologists but...